


Rustle and Fall

by KitsuneGyau



Category: MapleStory
Genre: A Miserable Pile of Disappointments, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Basically throw out that happened after Black Heaven to be safe, Explorer is written in Second Person POV, Gen, Hi I'm Kai and I'm way too attached to Maplestory characters, Honestly some stuff from before too I literally started writing this YEAAARS ago, I don't know why I decided one day I wanted to hurt my feelings, No one really knows what's going on, POV Second Person, The Death tag is iffy, What is Canon? (Throws Wine Glass), why is this sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24994024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitsuneGyau/pseuds/KitsuneGyau
Summary: Going back to where everything started is a little cliche sometimes.But for this you wouldn't have it any other way.
Kudos: 2





	Rustle and Fall

If you decided to ask Sugar how she had been created she wouldn't be able to really explain without it boiling down to just poofing into existence. Her creation just happened and it made perfect sense to her, so there was no point in thinking about it further, especially now that she had succeeded with the task she had been created for; protecting Maple Island.

When the goddesses had first seen what had happened with the Transcendent of Light they had all agreed to take a step away from Maple World, partially to avoid becoming a target and partially because they couldn't be Maple World's best and only protection forever. 

People randomly showing up in Maple World was nothing new. It was actually why it was so important that Maple Island was protected; these foreigners from another world always appeared at Maple Island. They always became heroes in their own right, no matter how far they got or how strong they were or the scale of the problem they solved (even if many of them were repeat problems because Maple World's flow of time is in snarls and frazzled and some things would just continue to undo themselves forever). 

After she learned that Maple World was merging with another world however, The Maple Goddess realized she needed to physically interact with Maple World in a way that wouldn't break the Goddesses pact to remain observers. Something was terribly wrong and she needed to find out what before Maple Island was endangered; even though she knew the other Goddesses weren't sticklers for rules and would agree that their divine intervention was necessary in this case, it was risky to have them all strike together. What if the Black Mage was stronger than they were and stole their divinity for himself? 

Sugar had been reluctant to leave originally, but after meeting you she decided to try. There was something about you that just drew her in and made her want to get to know you and it was the push she needed to leave. And you turned out to be exactly how she hoped you would; goofy and funny and brave but most of all kind.

When you immediately ran around Maple Island to help put out flames endangering the maple tree she called home, the Patron Goddess of Maple Island herself had wanted to stay and fight alongside you as a friend for as long as possible. Sugar would've stayed forever if it had been feasible.

But Godhood called. And Sugar couldn't stay out anymore, now that people knew what she-

In the middle of her reminiscing, something inexplicable shifted, and with it the dark energy that had ensnared Maple World in a choke-hold for centuries disappeared.

The Black Mage was gone. He wasn't sealed away. He was gone. 

~*~

"Hey Sugar. We won."

Talking to a really big Maple tree was not what you really expected to be your main priority after defeating the Black Mage, but you never really believed you'd be the one to beat him either. And honestly you couldn't give a shit at the moment.

"It was brutal. A lot of people died, and even more were injured really badly, but we did it. We took out most of the commanders too so you don't have to worry about that anymore. The commanders or seal stones or any of that."

You turned to lean against the tree. Sunsets were never your thing but goddammit this one was important.

"We ended up using the seal stones to destroy him. Something about banishing him from existing by turning him into a dream or something; I don't know exactly what happened but it was Luminous who orchestrated it with the help of that commander that could control dreams. He's probably the new Transcendant of Light by the way. Unfortunately."

The laugh you made sounded slightly forced. You were never very good with bad news. 

"Sugar, do you remember when I ended up creating the seal stone for Maple Island? Back then, all I could think of was how I would have done anything to protect Maple Island from the Black Mage. And I did."

This time you didn't even anything but a very sad sigh. Your voice sounded hollow even, like the gravity of the situation drained all of your soul. "I don't know exactly what happened with that either, but it looks like you have to use a bit of yourself when you work with a seal stone. And you can use yourself to repair and even create new ones. There are workarounds but they were mastered and died with Freud."

"By using myself to make the seal stone I became part of it. And that made me able to become the key along with Empress Cygnus to that last attack. And well," you couldn't help but hesitate for a second, "It burned up all the energy in the seal stones we had. It had to so it would work. And you know me, I always give 110%."

It felt like it took every fiber of your being to stand here and not just...stop. But as you slid down the bark (which ow, but also hey one last dumb idea, kinda neat actually) to sit on the grass you were determined to see this out to the end. 

"I don't think I'm dying exactly? But I also don't think I'll be around anymore. At least not like this. I'm aiming for a ghost personally. I get to walk around that amusement park in Ludibrium and not have to pay for anything! But I..wanted to make sure I got to talk to you one last time."

"I'm so sorry!"

Suddenly there were arms around your neck and Sugar was crying into your shoulder. 

"Pact be damned the goddesses should have stepped in! I should have been stronger and said something." Her sobbing was barely audible.

"Hey you were keeping a promise! And I think that's really important because well...I actually want to ask you to make another one for me.

You reached for a hand as she looked dead in your eyes. 

"Can you promise me to keep being there for other explorers like you were for me? Because honestly, I don't think I could have done this without you."

You tilted your head up to watch the golden last rays of the sun filter through the branches above. "I can kinda remember where I came from now you know. I...wasn't happy. I got bullied a lot in school, I could never seem to act the way everyone else did so I had no friends. My parents fought a lot and I was honestly miserable. I don't know how I got here or why but I would never trade it for the world, even though I'm about to kinda not really exist anymore." 

It was your turn to throw your arms around Sugar. "So thank you for being my first and best friend. I couldn't have done this without you." 

"I couldn't have done this without you either. The whole world couldn't have." Sugar stepped back from the hug clasping your hands with a determined look. "I'll keep our promise forever." 

"Thanks Sugar." 

A sudden autumn breeze blew through, rustling the branches and sending a shower of leaves down upon the two of you. One stuck itself right to the side of Sugar's head and you laughed softly as you peeled it off. 

"I guess you could say my maple story has come to an end." Immediately you laugh grimaced. "That was terrible I'm sorry."

Before Sugar could respond you dissolved in a shower of chromatic sparks. The leaf landed where you once stood; now a glossy bronze with a rim of vibrant gold.

~*~

Maple Island gets a lot of visitors nowadays. They always come to see the large maple tree and visit the stone plaque with a leaf ornament. New adventurers say whenever they visit before a battle, an encouraging voice gives them the boost they need in the darkest hour.

"Go! Fight! Show Your Energy!

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Hey let's check on Maplestory again I kinda miss that game  
> *For Glory literally destroys every fic I had started in 2016*  
> Me: ...welp. *finishes them anyway and ignores canon*
> 
> There's no time like four years later to finish a one shot. And I had multiple chapter fics I was working on too oof. My writing style is vastly different from when I started too; I went back and updated it but pls forgive me if there's a shift in quality/style.
> 
> Don't listen to Wounded Leaf a.k.a the Destroyed Maple Island music while you read this I am making myself so sad while writing it. (Actually do this BGM was one of my favorite things from the RED patch)


End file.
